Piano Keys
by peeta's-buns-don't-lie
Summary: Lacey Marcette is visited by Chiron in her dreams. He explains the gods are missing. After receiving an anonymous gift, a piano, she sets out on a Quest to find the gods, ignoring the Greek carvings on the keys that she should've payed more attention to.
1. Prologue

.:_Prologue_:.

_"Sir, the counsel would like to speak to you, immediately," a guard said sternly to Chiron._

_It was in a flower-clad courtyard, with fountains and fluttering butterflies. Various buildings were standing randomly until the horizon cute them off, and birds chirped. Statues and dedicated structures stood everywhere I looked. It was a very elegant place, too beautiful for words. The only thing that didn't quite satisfy my eyes was the palace of the gods. It was gray and dilapidated, like a tornado came through. The golden symbols and designs were faded, and from the distance between me and the large palace, I could tell that nobody was in it.  
_

_Chiron grunted, considering the possible reasons for his calling-upon. "Yes, of course, Lieutenant."_

_"Good day, Chiron."  
_

_The guard saluted, and ran off in another direction. The direction in the palace of the gods. Leaving Chiron to himself, and nervously tap his hooves against the stone road. He laid his hand upon his forehead, and wiped his hands down his aged face, smoothing down his beard in the process. He finally agreed with himself that he really should follow orders, no matter how drastic they were. He galloped down a bending road that led around the corner, down other winding, thinner paths and eventually arrived at the front of a stone building that reminded me of the Parthenon, just smaller and it looked like it had recently been rebuilt. _

_Chiron stood nervously in front of the door, his hands folded while he stared at it's stone texture. Before he could react, the doors opened with a few muffled croaks. There to greet him was a man, regular sized and strongly built. He wore Greek clothing that wrapped over his shoulder where a plate of gold perched, holding it there. The cloth was cream colored, like a dingy white. There was a four foot sword strapped to his waist, sheathed in a metal casing. His hair was graying at the roots, but otherwise, it was a golden brown. Like caramel. He stepped forward, waving Chiron inside the large stone building. _

_"Greetings, old friend," the man said once Chiron clopped inside._

_"It has been eons, Rabius," Chiron shook Rabius' hand and they emerged further into the building._

_The only audible sound for a few minutes of walking was occasional echoes from further inside, and the clip-clop of Chiron's hooves. His hands were wrapped nervously behind his back, twisted around each other. On the other hand, Rabius was calm. At least he appeared to be. But I knew something was bothering him when I saw his eyelid twitch while he anxiously tried to shush it. He blinked and wrung his hands, desperately keeping his distress under lock and key._

_The silence was broken when Chiron muttered,"When I am called onto Olympus, it's never for something exactly pleasant. I would like you to explain?"_

_Rabius was stricken by Chiron's straightforward question, like it was something he couldn't exactly explain. "Well, um..." He cleared his throat with a shaky hand. "I'm afraid that Olympus as once again reached a point of despair."_

_Chiron nodded, his eyes casted a look of grief, but confused grief. Like he didn't know exactly what to be saddened for. His eyes traced lines on the carved stone walls, which were plain in every way. His eyes narrowed, thinking sour thoughts._

_"And, might I ask, what this time?" he asked Rabius in an anxious tone, like a whining child._

_Rabius looked pretty uncomfortable under all of this pressure, which I thought was odd. He looked like such a put-together man. But even if I were one of the counselors of Olympus, I would have been voiceless answering Chiron's quizzical question. Rabius looked at the floor, he casually smoothed down his robes. Before long, he looked back up at Chiron's towering equine figure with a melancholy expression laid upon his face. _

_"All of the Olympians have..." His breath clogged his throat in mid-sentence. Rubbing his neck, Rabius wiped a few tears from his eyes. "Disappeared, dear Chiron." He finished his sentence with a cracked voice, looking off in another direction, afraid of what Chiron would come out with._

_Of course, Chiron now just reflected Rabius' body language, expression, and tone of voice. The way he shuffled his hooves around the cold stone floor gave away his anxiety. I could tell his mind was racing, his eyes wandered from place to place, jotting around the room like he was searching for something. Obviously, he was completely speechless, too, and he was attempting to smooth it over by a thinking type of manor. For a moment, his eyes locked onto mine, giving a look I can't describe. Somewhere between distress, hope, and pleading. He mouthed my name, Lacey. My eyes widened, and I was about to whisper back, but he turned like nothing had happened._

_Did he know I was here? How? I didn't even know how I got here. The thought creeped me out, and I shuddered. I thought I should probably get back, feeling like a major stalker, but my heart glued me to the spot. I was magnetized towards this very place, pulled simply by my own mind. My common sense told me to turn and run, because I had no idea where I was or who these people were at the time, but I was anchored by a feeling I had never felt before. Attached to this moment despite my free will made me panic. What if I never left this state? Doomed to live life here forever? Now, that was jumping to conclusions, but before I could find sense of this situation, my thoughts were interrupted._

_"What is the information that you know?" Chiron asked._

_"Hm." Rabius pressed a finger to his bottom lip, recalling something from the back of his mind. But the answer was plain to say,"We aren't fully aware of their whereabouts. They disappeared unexpectedly a few days ago. Including Poseidon and Hades, directly from their realms. Whoever did it this time has to be powerful. Very powerful."_

_Chiron hesitated his next words after opening his mouth. He closed it and pursed his lips, staring at the ceiling. "It couldn't be Kronos. It's simply not possible in his current physical state..." Chiron was more talking to himself then Rabius._

_"We have tracked for any signs of unwanted visitors hear in Olympus, but no one has left or entered during the past week, and we received a message from Poseidon updating about the goings-on under the sea. Everything seemed alright with Hades, as well. No signs of anything, Chiron. Who or what we're dealing with is cunning. Unbelievably, to have struck upon the gods so suddenly, without warning, or evidence. We may not get through this one."_

_Chiron immediately shook his head, but then slowed when he saw the doubt full expression on Rabius' face. He licked his lips and breathed heavily through his nose, his chest rising and falling. "How can this be? The Great Prophecy occurred just about two years ago. It's completely uncanny!"_

_Chiron spread his left hand across his face, Mouthing words to himself this time, not me. I felt relieved. I let out a small sigh. Rabius perked up, grabbing the hilt of his sword and turning to look straight at me. I raised my hands in surrender, holding my breath while he unsheathed his sword. I sucked in my stomach, holding as still as a statue, hoping that might help in some way._

_I opened them, after a few impatient seconds. Rabius was searching the corridor with his eyes, his dominant glare passing through me completely. Chiron glanced at me, urging me to be quiet. Rabius couldn't see me, I realized, but he could hear me. I wondered how that was possible, I mean Chiron could see me. I guess he was just cool like that._

_Rabius was still scanning the hallway long after I had backed quietly out of the way. I was freaked out at how he couldn't see me, and by his sword. I cowered at the glint on the blade, sharper than a tack. He sheathed it, and backed over to Chiron, his eyes forward. He sure looked persistent._

_Chiron cleared his throat unevenly. "Rabius, calm. I'm sure it was nothing."_

_Rabius shook his head, turning slowly. "You don't understand, this information is classified. Nobody knows except the heads of Olympus, we don't want to alarm anyone any further."_

_Chiron laughed. "You cannot keep a secret from the public forever. They will soon realize their gods are gone."_

_Rabius' face kept serious, hard as the rock that surrounded us. "Only until we come up with a logical explanation."_

_Chiron then nodded, and turned his head forward. The walk from there was long, fifteen minutes at the minimum. I became anxious, bouncing quietly on my heals while my gut continued to pull me through the rolling corridor, following these strange people. I looked at the boring walls, wondering where the heck I was when Rabius spoke. "Just ahead," he murmured._

_I squinted, blinking at the end of the hall. Before long, I saw a large rectangle, similar to the front doors. We approached it after few extra minutes of trudging. I heard people discussing things from inside. Many people, arguing and spitting words at each other in retorts. Rabius looked up at Chiron, who nodded. Rabius let go of the golden hilt and reached out to the handle of the large rectangular doors, enough space for a giant to walk through. It swung open with a few second of shoving and difficulty. _

_They creaked and moaned before revealing a burst of light that stretched from the flickering bonfire in the middle of the room, down the long corridor where we just came. Nobody in the room seemed to notice us, they were people similar to Rabius. I counted twenty in all. They were bickering at each other from across a long dining room table. In front of them sat untouched plates of fruits, meats, breads, and cheeses. Bouquets of flowers decorated the table in areas, surrounded by fallen petals. Wine goblets that were half empty were sprawled randomly in front of each person._

_Around the large room, there were floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto the ground below, which I couldn't decipher where. The clouds hovered just below in a fog of white puffs. Above that, blue sky spread overhead through the glass-window roofing. Designs decorated the walls, ones I couldn't yet read. Ancient Greek writing was painted or carved on the walls like a child was left in here alone with paint. They showed stories of Greek myths I once had heard, some I weren't aware of. _

_The screaming of the people in the center of the large room shook me awake from my daydream. They were using their hands to speak, arguing at each other over what seemed something important. Men and women alike surrounded the table, ceasing to hush their tones despite our arrival. _

_Rabius cleared his throat. Nothing happened. They continued to argue like gorillas._

_"Olympus Counsel!" he shouted over the people, but they barely gave a sliver of attention._

_"COUNSEL!" he shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth._

_The counsel stopped abruptly, some in mid-curse. Their eyes locked onto the two men before me, confused expressions clad their faces. A few started murmuring to each other, like they forgot they were supposed to be mad. Chiron stepped a few clops forward, stepping down a set of marble stairs that led into the circular shaped room. They all sat back into their chairs shamefully, picking at their food, a few popping grapes and cheese cubes into their mouths nonchalantly. _

_"We are in the middle of a fatal crisis!" Rabius shouted, raising his arms angrily. "No time for childish fights such as these!"_

_The counsel took sips of their wine, not meeting Rabius' stern eyes._

_He was about to continue on another tirade, but then Chiron shushed him by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Let me handle this."_

_He walked forward with his four legs, his tail flicking absentmindedly. His eyes scanned the crowd of fuming but collected counselors. "Calm. Like Rabius stated, we cannot risk a disagreement at this point in time. Now, we are the only people running Olympus. We must be mature, like the gods expect us to be."_

_The counselors looked down to their plates, shifting their food from side-to-side with forks and spoons. They couldn't deny they were ashamed, and felt guilty._

_"Now, let's discuss this without acting like two-hundred-year-olds," he said so seriously, that I stifled a snort. _

_Rabius padded down the steps, following Chiron to the end of the table. He stood at the head, while Rabius took the empty seat beside it. The whole courtroom was silent, while they picked at the food that was on their plate and nervously gulped wine from the priceless goblets. They all ate in silence, the only sound silverware scratching against plates and some of them chewing crunchy crackers. I stood awkwardly at the doors, reminding myself constantly that the couldn't see me. I forced the urge to turn and run out of my head. They weren't terrifying or anything, they were just intimidating. The aura of their power clogged my airways, leading me to gasp for breath._

_The presence was so strong I wondered how I would react when I was in the same room with the real deal. I shook at the thought, settling down onto the first step. I eyed Chiron, hoping he would give me an answer, but he casually reached over and stole produce from Rabius' plate, which sent him smacking his hand. Chiron got one anyway, and took a bite out of a perfectly ripe and fuzzy peach._

_Everyone finished in a matter of time, though no one spoke. Awkwardness was too thick now to penetrate, causing the counsel to keep quiet except for a few whispers. It seemed like an endless silence, which bored me greatly, until Chiron scuffed his hooves against the tiled floor. Everyone looked up, bright and perky, probably grateful that the uneasiness was now settled and smoothed over. I waited for something to happen, but Chiron just held the eyes of the counsel for various seconds before moving onto the next. He passed the eyes of Rabius, urging him to lead the counsel. What his job was for._

_He clapped his hands, standing up from his chair, which scooted and scuffed the floor with a horrible noise to follow. "Ah, hello, counsel."_

_People turned away and rolled their eyes at the person sitting next to them, but Rabius didn't see. His eyes were focused nervously on the back wall of the courtroom. Whispers echoed, also, but I had a feeling that his heavy breathing blocked that out, too. _

_"We are here to discuss the tragedy that has once again settled upon Olympus," he said with a crackling voice. "Does anyone have any comments or questions before we begin?"_

_A women in the back raised her hand sheepishly. "We already know that there's an issue here. Just let us go back to discuss it with ourselves, first."_

_A few people nodded in agreement, eying Rabius like he was an ignorant child._

_He looked uncomfortable, wiping his sweaty hands on his robes. "The gods would like us to be mature and discuss this all together, Lady Adeline."_

_"Yeah, well in case you haven't noticed, the gods aren't here at the moment," an arrogant young man piped up from across Lady Adeline._

_"Yeah!"_

_"Precisely."_

_The counsel echoed agreements, snapping at Rabius all at once._

_"I think he's just doing his job, unlike you children," another woman replied from the middle of the table._

_Then, a few more second her opinion._

_"No way, I think we just need to go investigate. We know nothing! Find evidence, discuss that!" someone yelled in protest, followed by louder replies._

_Then, another fight began to boil._

_Screams form the opposing sides erupted from around the room, bouncing off the tiles and into my ears. I covered them with my hands, wincing and curling into a ball. I had no idea that people less like one-eighteenth at powerful at the gods could get that loud when they needed to._

_"QUIEEEEEET!" Chiron yelled, waving his arms in the air. His voice was two times as loud, so I cowered on the steps of the grand room, the yell still echoing around the room several seconds later._

_Chiron nodded as if to himself. "Do as you must."_

_Many of them jumped up immediately from their chairs, which toppled backwards and skidded behind them. They stormed out of the room in a tight group, leaving a few remaining others. They looked at the remnants of the counsel, sighed, then got up calmly. The all sauntered out, including a peeved Rabius. I moved out of the way quickly, letting the group of angry counselors waltz out the door followed by a few mellow counselors. Rabius turned to Chiron. "Are you coming, or not?" he asked._

_"I think I'll stay a few more moments and pack in as many of these delicious peaches as I can," He replied, waving a little with his fingers._

_Rabius shrugged, then exited the now almost-empty courtroom. He closed the doors with a creak and a boom behind him, leaving me alone in the room with the mysterious Chiron._

_At first, he acted as normal. Pecking at peaches and gazing out the window. Before he started talking. "Turmoil is among us, Lacey. We are all clueless. We aren't accustomed to this confused state, which is leading us all down a path that will eventually bring Olympus down and tumbling. I believe that was the plan of the culprit. Clever fellow, whoever he or she may be."_

_I thought he was talking to himself until he turned to me and started walking forward. "There are little things I can explain at this moment, young half-blood. You will soon find all of your answers. As soon as we find ours."_

_He edged closer and closer to me. He tossed the peach behind him and it splattered onto the tile. It seeped through the floor, completely gone. I gaped a little, but Chiron didn't notice or, if he did, pay any mind._

_I opened my mouth to speak, but found that I couldn't at all. My voice was simply caught in my throat. I coughed, and reached for my throat when I was interrupted by Chiron, yet again. "I'm afraid voices don't work in dreams such as these, youngling. It is one of the many downsides of this feature."_

_I furrowed my eyebrows, taking in everything he was saying as far as I could into my brain. _

_"I know, it is quite confusing, everything is," he said. "But you will soon understand."_

_I stared at my hands. Surely this was just some odd dream I had came up with in my mind. How else could this be real? It was completely silly, everything that was happening. I simply created Chiron, Rabius and all the other things from my mind alone. I laughed at myself in my mind, since I couldn't aloud._

_"This is indeed real, my dear," he said, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he stared intently at me like I was made of gold. "Like I said, you will understand everything quite soon enough."_

_I stared back at him, studying his face until he said. "You will wake."_

I gasped from under my covers. My eyes shot open like blinds. I was greeted with the familiar color of my sheets, faded yellow that had once been bright. I sat upright, bolted to the bed. I was in a cold sweat, my pillow soaked in warm perspiration. I took the tail of my t-shirt and wiped my neck and forehead, catching up on my breathing. My mind raced, the vivid picture of the half man, half horse called _Chiron_ was still crystal clear in my mind_, _causing me to shake.

_It was just a dream, Lacey. Just a dream that your mind created. There's nothing to worry about, don't sweat it._

I laughed at myself and sat over the side of my bed, still trying to sooth my shaking body.

_

* * *

_

**A/N. ~ **How what that? Just the prologue to a new story I've been working on. Still, if I must remind you all, reviews make me warm a fuzzy inside (: I would TOTALLY appreciate if you shared your opinion to me by review. Tell me if I should continue or not! Anyway, be awesome. (:

~ Naomi Leigh, with love


	2. Memories

.:Chapter One:.

The attic was a gloomy gray. Dust was piled in thick sheets over the furniture. In the corner stood a stack of boxes full of Christmas decorations and a plastic tree along with a few boxes for charity, where they had appeared to have been untouched for many years. The foggy and rain-stained window filtered in a measly drop of sunlight that shown through the room. An old broken glass chandelier was splayed on the floor, it's bits and pieces sprawled around it, along with a few cracked light-bulbs. Old picture frames that hung on the wall held old sepia colored pictures from the fifties. A tiny table acted as a chair, that was sitting in front of a grimy classic-styled piano.

Tempted, I sauntered forward. My hands were spread out in front of me, reaching forward to the stained keys. My fingers filtered through the heavy air that floated with particles. My steps were the only sound in the whole house that was audible. My shoes _flip-flop_ped from under my heels, scuffing the creaking floorboards. A small wind drafted from a hole in the side of the attic, wooden boards lay around it with a pile of nails. Someone had tried to fix it, but the weather had won again. My gray skirt ruffled, brushing my bare thighs and causing my hair to billow diagonally, in current of the wind flow. Anxiousness seemed to build up inside me while I walked forward slowly, trying to keep my breathing quiet, like maybe the piano could hear me.

Even with the urge bursting inside me, I couldn't bring myself to walk faster. I felt the need to keep slow and quiet, like the surrounding environment that was lifeless around me. I imagined the high-pitched _donk!_ of the keys when I pressed on them, and how I would wipe the grime off of my fingers on my skirt that was already colorless. My legs itched to run forward, my fingers were longing for the familiar touch of the keys I once before used to press on every day, their texture still vague on my skin.

My fingers pulled me, finally, to the piano that in the past was my best friend. I stared at it for a moment, settling down on the little mahogany table that was chipped and unpolished. It moaned under my weight, rocking uneasily, until it settled uninsured. My hand still outstretched and aching, shook nervously until my muscles directed the flailing limbs to the dingy white keys. My fingers rubbed off the dirt and grime on my favorite note key that I always started or ended my written songs with frequently. C. It was still a cream, distressed color underneath the coat of dirt. The keys were sticky, I could already see. I ran my hands over the long line of keys, my fingers bouncing with the bumps and valleys of the pattern I knew so well.

I rubbed B flat with my pointer finger, dusting off the settled grime. It was black, but not glossy black. I decided to test the forever still keys and see if they still played. I licked my lips, trying to recall the song I wrote before my dad disappeared. Of course, it started with a C. I was hesitant to push on the yellowed key, afraid of what was to come. But, I sucked in a big shaky breath and put pressure down on the smooth surface under my finger.

"_Bingggggggggggggggg,_" The familiar sound faded away as fast as it had come.

I looked around the room, which was nothign more or less unusual than five minutes ago. I smiled, biting my lip in excitement. I pressed the key again, and the sound echoed around the empty house, vibrated against the walls and bouncing through the entire dilapidated building before disappearing out the door, weakening from my hearing. I ran my fingers over the next note that I suddenly remembered. F. The key was loose, and I was afraid if I played it, it would break and be ruined forever. I wouldn't want my own past to be repeated with this innocent instrument. I wiggled it with my thumb, it bounced against the other keys and rattled. I pushed it backwards, where it settled calmly into it's desired placement. I sighed in relief, and turned to the first note, C, to restart the song.

As soon as the first note rang through the house once again, and the corresponding key to echo with it in a melody, the song came to me in a flash. I was playing the chorus of my most recent song. I knew it so well, in fact, that I closed my eyes and swayed, letting my fingers run freely across the pattern of black and white. I blinked back the hot stinging occurring in my eyes, and laced my fingers over the surface that made me cringe with fear and delight.

The world around me seemed to fade just like the notes I played two measures before. No sound entered by ears except the sound of the song that made me fight back tears and loud sniffled that I was afraid would never stop. Hearing this meaningful song again made me feel more hopeful for the future, that things would get better. But that, of course, was utterly incorrect. I realized this soon with a deep heave, my middle finger stopping abruptly at B flat. I reached up to wipe my nose, them remembered the dust on the keys. I took a handful of the tail of my skirt and rubbed the grime off of my trembling fingers, then smoothed my skirt down from under me only to stand up. I crushed numbers of keys under my hands as I pushed myself up from the unsteady table, creating a sickening racket. I cursed under my breath and wiped my nose of with my blouse sleeve.

Kicking the table out of my way, I walked to the middle of the room where I stood, unsure. I wrung my hands together by my stomach, twisting around the knuckles of my fingers that were still a little smeared with black gunk. I pushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. Blinking flying dust out of my eyes, I walked around the room, recalling these same things when they weren't cloaked in darkness. I spotted my old mirror sitting against the boxes, propped upwards. It was smeared with little fingerprints and lip-gloss from the old days. The better days.

I sat down on my knees in front of it, staring at my distorted reflection. I saw an unreadable face, a drape of wavy dark hair, and piercing blue eyes that were staring back at me. I wasn't quite a beautiful fourteen year old, my face wasn't unique. The only thing that struck most people at first were my electric blue irises that caught eyes of strangers often. I reached upward and fingered my long eyelashes between my index finger and thumb. They curled upwards in a heavy fan of jet black. My hands trailed down my face and I brushed my cold hands against my still baby-like cheeks. My fingers tingled, warm against cold.

I inspected my chin, wrapping my fingers around it and inspecting it's natural curve. Which led to my lips, try and chapped from licking them too much. I trailed up my mouth and nose, up to my forehead and head of hair. I brushed through it, attempting to tame it's natural frizzy curl. I ran my fingertips down the sides of my face, feeling every pore carefully, until my fingers only brushed the thick air. Disappointed, I interlaced my fingers in my laps and stared at the floor.

I felt at home here, like I'd never left at all. I could almost imagine my mother calling my down from my attic room to join her and my father at the small circular dinner table. But, now, the whole how was hollow and empty, except for this secret room that only my family seemed to know about. I looked like the movers completely missed it. One part of me was glad. The other part was sad. It brang back too many good and bad memories to count.

I tried to remember my father's face. It was pretty hard, after seven years of not seeing him. I still remember the day he disappeared, though. It was one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life.

* * *

_I skipped into the kitchen, wearing nothing but a little princess costume and plastic crown with the fake jewel in the shape of a heart studding out on the front. A foot-long Tinker Bell wand was clutched in my chubby fist, and I was waving it around 'casting' randomly-worded spells._

_"Abba-Kaboodle!" I tapped the kitchen counter with the star on the end of the silver stick. "Why don't these work? I made them myself, so they should! Mommy, why didn't the counter turn into a bird?"_

_I looked up at my mother expectantly, who was thrusting dirty dishes into the dishwasher on the other side of the counter._

_"I don't know, Hun, maybe you ran out of pixie dust," She smiled a little without looking away from her water-wrinkled fingers that were shriveled like prunes._

_I frowned, dropping my wand to the ground. "It's the wand. Wal-Mart will pay!" I pounded my fist into the air, stomping on the wand. It eventually cracked in half, creating a sharp noise that split the air._

_Mom looked up from the full dishwasher, craning her neck to see me kicking the pieces under the couch. "Lacey! Honey! Stop!" She yelled, jogging around the counter towards me._

_"But the wand isn't good, Mommy." I pouted, my lower lip hanging out._

_Mom scooted over to the couch, where she retrieved the broken wand. Holding the two pieces in her wrinkled hands, she said,"Now you can't even practice casting a spell."_

_I was surprised, my eyes widening and my lips bunched together in a firm knot. "I can't?"_

_"Nope."_

_"Oh..."_

_"Honey, why don't you go practice playing 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' on your piano?" _

_I sighed. "I can't cast spells with a piano, Mommy," I hesitated, but ended up scampering upstairs. _

_I scrambled through the tiny opening in the ceiling in the upstairs hallway, that led to my piano room. It was filled with my play items, dolls, a tiny pink oven, a play guitar, and my favorite toy, the piano that had once been my mother's. I hopped onto the pink stool and started to play my favorite song. As soon as I started the tune, a voice echoed angrily downstairs._

_I stopped playing, cocking my head to the voice of my mother cursing out loud, but stopped when she heard me stop playing. Concerned on my mother's sake, I peeked out the opening in the floor, straining to hear my mother's frustrated words._

_"But what about Lacey?" She asked from the kitchen. _

_here was a long silence before she spoke again. "You can't just leave us, you promised me you would never go away again. After she was born, you said that she sealed the deal completely. That you didn't care about your brothers and sisters anymore. But now, you broken your promise for your own selfish reasons!"_

_A cupboard door slammed, sending the cups cased inside clattering against each other. She hung up the phone and slammed it into the charger on the counter. I heard muffled sobs, and it instantly made me tear up also. I sniffled, completely oblivious, but still aware that Mom was sad._

_Then, after minutes of crying, the sound stopped short. I heard steps rising up the stairs, and I scrambled away from the opening and pretended to be studying my notebook full of my Mother's old hand written songs. I waited for her to peak inside, anxiously glancing out of the corner of my sight every second. But she didn't. She never did._

_

* * *

_I caught back onto reality, and by now I was in severely falling tears, which showered down my cheeks and dribbled down my chin. I never knew what happened to my mother, or did anyone else. It haunted me forever. I would murder someone to know what happened to her that night. It pained me to remember her as clearly as a crystal. I breathed in sharply, catching my breath after a few exhausting sobs. I held my stomach and tried to comfort myself into relaxation. It didn't work, though, it made me worse. I tapped the small of my back, where I remembered my birthmark was. It was a curved line, with lines on the ends. Like an upside-down horseshoe, but more crooked and distorted after all of my childhood growth-spurts.

It tingled a little at the touch, and I whimpered under my breath.

"LACEY!" called a voice from downstairs, a voice of someone who I almost forgot was there at all.

"It's alright, Chase. I'll be down in a minute," I mumbled a little.

"HUH?" he called.

"NEVERMIND!" I shouted to him.

I took one last glance at the foggy mirror before getting up from the floor, smoothing down my wrinkled skirt. I turned and sat down on the edge of the hole, swinging my legs over and jumping onto the floor below. I grunted and landed, almost toppling over. From my squat, I stood up. I ran down the hall and down the winding spiral staircase, where my best friend and partner on the run, Chase Jensen, was waiting for me anxiously, playing with the laces of his shoes. He spotted me out of the corner of his eyes, and he smiled.

Okay, let me just get this straight. After my mother disappeared, I ran away, afraid of where they would take me if they knew. I talked to my friend, Chase, about it. He said he would come with me and help me along the way, he thought it would be fun, like all seven year olds would. For six years, we've been on our own. We're practically like family. A pretty small one.

Chase had wavy blond hair that hung in his eyes, his irises were a deep hazel, and he was tall for his age. A few inches taller than me, at 5'7. His smile was big as he saw me descend the stairs and he jumped up from his seat on the bare floor of my old house. He walked over to me, and his smile faded.

"You look bummed," he observed, as always. He had keen eyesight, noticing things I never would have picked up.

"Well, I'm not _delightful_," I replied. "Let's just get out of here before we get caught."

I tried to grab his arm, but he laughed. "This whole town is deserted, Lacey."

I glared at him, sniffling for emphasis. "Not helping. You'd be a great therapist, Chase."

"Thanks."

"Anytime?"

He grinned and pulled me along out of the doorway that had no door, and I found that it was already almost evening. We skirted along the side of the house and scurried down the chipped sidewalk.

"So... do you wanna tell me what you were doing up there, taking so long?" Chase asked.

"Not really, actually." I folded my arm back, poking at my birthmark.

Chase huffed, and crossed his arms. "Meanie."

I laughed and punched his arm playfully. "This is serious."

"Then why were you laughing?"

"Because your goofy laugh it contagious."

"Well, _put me in jail_, then!"

I giggled and ruffled with his dirty, unwashed hair.

"You're such a retard," I laughed, watching his smooth down his hair again.

"Hm, well, last time I checked, _I_ wasn't the one who tried to steal a bike from Wal-Mart by riding it out," He put him hand to his chin, pretending to recall two years ago.

"Well, I was young and stupid."

"I think you meant twelve and idiotic."

"Life isn't life without a little risk," I hummed.

"Oh, gawds, _girl-fran_! That is so totally _cliche_!" He role-played in a girly voice.

"Yeah, I guess you can't get any riskier than this." I kicked a stone that was sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, and wiped away a falling tear with a grimy hand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Chase waved around his arms "No waterworks."

I sniffled again. "Sorry."

He smiled at be sympathetically. "Shut your face, Lace."

"Shut your face, Chase."

We laughed at our own inside joke, and walked the rest of the way to our camp-out.

* * *

Huddled in old, torn shower curtains, Chase and I sat around a small flickering fire in the middle of a forest. Beside me sat an untouched slab of mystery meat. Despite my rumbling stomach, I set it aside when Chase told me if he said what the meat from, I wouldn't eat it. He sat next to me, wrapped in my yellow blanket, shivering. I gazed sympathetically at my only friend, who had sacrificed so much for my own sake. I decided it was time to switch things around.

"Chase?" I asked, scooting over to him.

"Yeah?" he asked in a groggy voice, poking at the flames with a stick.

"I'm sorry." I said. "For everything."

He looked at me, confused, like I had just said something completely ridiculous. "For what?"

I stared at him back, in the same way. "For _what,_ you say?"

"Um... yeah."

I sighed, and turned back to the flames, watching them dance around the fire pit.

Chase shuffled his mummified body over to me, shivering with cold and chattering his teeth. "What's wrong, now, Lace?"

"Nothing," I replied, but it really was something.

"No, it's not nothing at all," he said, more serious than I had heard him in a while. He always tried to raise my spirits due to the circumstances, and it worked. But there were still times when his comedy failed. Which was now. I guess he didn't even want to try. "Tell me, or I'll make this mystery meat my specialty."

I gave a disgusted side-glance to the purple lump of chewy crap, and decided I would die if I didn't tell him. "I didn't want to tell you, because I know you'll hate me."

"I won't hate you, Lacey."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay..." I took a deep breath, trying to put my thoughts into order. "You just... mean a lot to me."

He chuckled, shifting around on his seat to keep warm. "Why would that get me upset again?"

I shook my head, wrapping the curtains tighter around me. "No, you don't get it, Chase..."

"Well, care to clarify?"

"You...you, just, well..." I pursed my lips, forming sentences to explain the thoughts on my mind slowly. "You've done so much for me. You sacrificed a perfect life, all for my own well-being. Here you are, cooking me disgusting meat and shaking like a banshee from the biting cold. Why? Why did you do it?"

His face went blank by the time I spoke the first sentence. He hated it when I brought up our pasts, reminding him of hard times that we both wish today to forget completely.

"Lacey, I can't explain now. It'll put you and I both in danger. Let's just say... it was my duty, alright?" The words came out in a nervous and shaky slur as he fought against the constant chattering his teeth, which were clenched in a cheesy smile.

"Your... duty? Assigned by _who_ exactly?" I was getting seriously confused, and freaked out. If our friendship had been a lie this whole time, I'd probably punch a baby.

"It's not a job. A duty."

"Okay , so what are the differences again?"

"Forget it," He propped his elbow behind him and leaned back.

"No. This is obviously serious," I insisted, staring him down. His eyes widened, then he laughed.

"Okay, okay, okay, Lacey. No need to give me the death stare." He waved his hands in surrender.

"Then explain _everything_. In perfect detail," I demanded him, continuing to stare through his golden green irises.

"I don't know about perfect detail, but I guess it's time you should know the truth..." he started, sitting up and scooting closer. "After I tell you this, everything will change. You realize that, correct?"

"Yes I realize, just get on with it," I hurried him, anxious to finally understand Chase.

"If you want... I'll tell you about your father. And mother. And your past," he said quietly.

Something hard and cold punctured my heart. My mother? My father? I struggled once again to picture him in my mind, but failed completely. I didn't even remember his own voice. Only six years.

"Oh... Okay," I muttered, my hands shaking from more than just the cold.

He took a deep breath, and my heart skipped a few beats and quickened three times faster in pace.

"Ah, how do I explain this?" he rubbed the back of his neck. "Um... oh yeah. So, Lacey, have you ever heard any of the Greek myths?"

"What does this have to do with my father?" I squeaked, pushing further. This was no time to discuss mythology.

"It has very much to do with your father," He stared at me for a few seconds, so steady I found myself believing him.

"Go on."

He paused, wringing his hands. "Have you heard of the Greek gods?"

"Yes, like Hades and stuff, but where is this going?" I asked urgently. "Are you trying to make fun of me or something?"

His eyes widened in alarm. "No, I'm being completely genuine. I swear on the River Styx."

I shook my head. "You're making no sense!"

"I know, it's hard to take in when explained all of a sudden..." he cleared his throat. "Your father isn't dead. He's very much alive. Just...missing."

"Missing?"

"Your father is..." his voice trailed off, heaving another breath and biting his tongue to fight the cold. "Is Apollo. The Greek sun god."

My mouth dropped. "WHAT THE HECK, CHASE. ARE YOU PLAYING WITH MY HEAD, HOW CAN MY FATHER BE THE SUN FREAKING GOD, ANYWAY?" All the words spilled out of my mouth like tea into a cup.

"I knew this would happen," Chase pursed his lips and ran his free hand through his blond curls. "Now we're in horrible danger for nothing."

I looked at him, glaring. "You think can get away with teasing my mind like that? I thought I would really find out about my dad this time..." Tears welled behind my eyes, and I buried my head in my hands, wailing.

Chase patted my back. "I'm sorry, I came on too strong. I should've told you your dad was an almighty god without being too straightforward," Chase still managed to keep on the jokes, sending me balling.

"You immoral idiot!" I screamed. "You don't know what it's like at all!"

Wrapping his arm around me shoulder, he replied, "Yeah, I do."

I hushed my crying, pulling away from him. "What?"

"I'm just like you, except my father is Hermes," he said.

I gaped at him. "You really have the nerve to-"

"I'm serious, Lacey."

He placed a firm hand on my shoulder, and I stared at his shivering fingers. Frowning, I looked up at his eyes, and they were glinting in the firelight. He held the gaze until he spoke again, looking at the fire. "I'm serious. Do you think I'd joke about your father?"

"Not anymore."

Chase let his hand fall. "I can't stop once I start, so here goes nothing."

I waited impatiently while he bit the inside of his cheek and watched the flames.

"The reason your father disappeared is because he had to. He didn't want to leave you," he started. "The reason he left is because he was becoming more human, forgetting about his own pasts and his life on Olympus. Zeus declared that the Olympians or any other minor gods could not see their children anymore. At all. And... you're one of his children. A demigod, half-blood... you're part god, Lacey."

My brain paralyzed in disbelief, but the sure of his voice finally made me declare that he wasn't joking.

"Whoa."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It's hard for all of us. Now you know, and unfortunately that's a bittersweet kind of thing."

"How?"

"Well... you've heard of all the Greek monsters, right?"

"Oh... no way. No way there are monsters. NO WAY," I refused to believe that there were monsters.

"It turns out that they're real too, and once a demigod knows his or her identity, their scent becomes stronger," he explained, and I felt like I would pass out.

"My scent?" I asked. "I smell that bad?"

"To a monster, you smell like lunch."

"Thanks, good to know."

"And, you remember my parents at home, right? They were just for show. I was twisting the Mist," he said, not a sliver of sarcasm.

"Mist?"

"Yeah, otherwise mortals would be able to see everything from monsters, to half-bloods swinging swords," he replied, matter-of-factly.

"Awesome."

"And, do you remember seeing anything... after your father left your side?"

"Yeah... a few."

"Those things were monsters, but with me here, I fended them away before they could get ya." Chase brushed imaginary dust of his shoulder.

"Thanks, I guess."

"Your welcome."

I had no idea about any of this, and I didn't know how to thank him enough. "Wait, does this mean what you meant by duty?"

He shrugged,"Maybe."

I nodded, trying to let everything sink in.

He chuckled. "You'll get used to everything once I take you to Camp Half-Blood."

"Okay, now there's a camp?" I asked in disbelief.

"You didn't think we were the only ones, did you?" he laughed again.

"Kind of..."

"Well, we aren't alone. At least not in a couple days of traveling and fighting monsters along the way. Camp is only in Manhattan, we'll be there in a jiff."

"Fighting monsters?" No way was I facing those little mutants my mom used to teach me about. She said that the learning would come in handy some day. I had no idea it would come in _this _handy.

"Yep." Chase got up and put out the fire. "We'd better get going. Hellhounds'll be all over you, now."

I shook at the thought of the shaggy black beasts, with red eyes and barred fangs. I wasn't sure if I was having another one of my vivid dreams or not, either way, I had to find out more about my father. And where my mother is, or what happened to her. After all of these years, I'd finally found an answer. A different answer than I thought it would be, but still an answer. Crooked or not. I unwrapped myself from the shower curtain and followed Chase out of the forest, and into a totally different world.

* * *

**AN: Haha, how'd you all like it? Care to tell me? Review? That'd be great, thanks. (: I worked really hard on the Prologue, and this Chapter, and the next ones in the future, and I;d appreciate it GREATLY if you'd just _review_? Thanks, guys :D**

**~ Naomi  
**


End file.
